Cigarette holder



Man-ch 29, 1955 E. s. BRQTHERS 2,705,013

cIGARET'I`` HOLDER Filed Aug. is, 195o l NVENTCR E0 W/A/ 5 5R@ THE/e5 HY @www Maiz- ATTQWNEY iinited States Patent YO CGARETTE HOLDER Edwin S. Brothers, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application August 18, 1950, Serial No. 180,120

3 Claims. (Cl. 131187) This invention is a cigarette holder of novel and unique construction.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a holder wherein the flow of smoke from a cigarette to the mouth of the smoker may be controlled to meet the smokers individual desires, said smoke being freed to a great extent from deleterious by-products, such as tars, resins, dust, etc., as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for cleaning out the holder of accumulated deposits of the by-products of burning tobacco which, in the holder of this invention, are trapped within a condensing chamber which should be cleaned from time to time.

The invention embodies numerous novel features which will hereinafter be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The acompanying drawing illustrates different practical embodiments of the invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a central longitudinal section through a cigarette holder embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the outer cup of the cigarette holding portion.

Figure 3 is an underneath plan view of the outer cup of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the inner cup of the cigarette holding portion.

Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of the same.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a dividing and mixing unit comprising two connected circular disks adapted to be folded upon one another with wire mesh sandwiched betweer1 them, both disks having alined perforations when fo de Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6, but showing the plate in folded condition.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 7, but showing a modified form of construction.

Figure 9 is a section similar to Figure 1, but also showing a modified form of construction.

The cigarette holder of this invention comprises, generally, a holding portion 1, a condenser 2, and a bit portion 3.

The cigarette holding portion 1 embodies two telescoped cups 4 and 5. The cup 4 is the outer cup. Its lower portion is reduced and externally threaded for detachable connection with one end of the condenser in the form of a tube which may be conveniently of glass or plastic material. joint thus formed. rotary tit within the outer cup 4 and is provided at its upper end with an external flange 7 overlying the edge of the outer cup. Its side wall is slotted as shown at 5a.

The external depth of the inner cup is somewhat less than the internal depth of the outer cup, so as to receive between them a dividing and mixing unit shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 6 this unit is illustrated as comprising a stamped sheet metal blank consisting of two circular disks 8 and 9 preferably joined together at one point in their circumference for a short distance. These disks are adapted to be bent along their line of joining after there has been positioned between them a piece of wire mesh 10, so positioned that when thus sandwiched between the two disks, it will lie between two alined openings 11 and 12 formed in the respective disks, as shown best in Fig- A gasket 6 precludes leakage in the The inner cup 5 has a fairly close 'icc ure 7. The disks 8 and 9 are of soft aluminum and when pressed together the mesh embeds itself in the disks and makes the unit practically one piece and fiat at both its exterior surfaces. The advantage of using two disks and t sandwiching a piece of wire mesh between them is that a relatively small piece of mesh may be used to thereby save1 the expense of a larger piece of mesh which is cost y.

The diameter of the disk assembly when folded together as described is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the outer cup 4 and, when the two cups are telescoped as shown in Figure l, this unit will be positioned between the bases of the two cups .and is normally tightly clamped between them. To permit of this clamping and for other purposes presently explained, the outer cup is provided at one of its sides with an L-shaped or bayonet slot 13 cut in the wall thereof. The upright portion 13a of this slot is substantially parallel to the axis of the holder, while the horizontal portion 13b of the slot extends in a substantially circumferential direction. A pin 14 detachably screwed into the wall of the inner cup, extends through the slot 13, as shown in Figure 1.

The base of the outer cup is provided with an opening 16 shown as circular while the base of the inner cup is provided with a fan shaped opening 17. The openings 11 and 12 are permanently alined with the opening 16, but through rotation of the inner cup 5 the fan shaped opening 17 and the base of the cup 5 may be adjusted, after the manner of a rotary valve, to wholly cover, partially cover or entirely uncover the opening 12 of the upper disk 9.

Rotation of the inner cup 5 may be accomplished by shifting the pin 14 circumferentially of the horizontal portion 13b of the L-shaped slot 13. By thus rotating the inner cup, the amount of smoke which will pass through the several openings 17, 12, 11 and 16 and through the interposed mesh 10 may be regulated to the individual desires of the smoker.

Should it be desired at any time to dismantle the parts of the cigarette holding portion, the pin 14 may be shifted to the vertical portion 13a of the .slot 13, moved upwardly in said slot and then unscrewed from the inner cup, so as to permit the inner cup to be withdrawn. The mixing unit may then be withdrawn forcleaning or replacement.

In Figures l, 6 and 7, the mesh is shown as sandwiched between two disks 8 and 9. Instead of this construction, I may, if desired, use the structure shown in Figure 8, which comprises one disk 9a with a substantially co-extensive circular wire mesh 10a. In this latter case, the mesh 10a would rest directly on the inner surface of the bottom of the outer cup with the perforated disk 9a resting upon the upper surface of the mesh and having a single opening 12a corresponding to the opening 12.

The bit 3 is provided with a reduced end portion threaded to screw into the corresponding end of the condenser 2 with an interposed gasket 18 to form a tight joint, This bit has a central smoke passage 19. The condenser portion 2 is preferably cylindrical and positioned therein is a rubber piston 20, the periphery of which has close litting sliding engagement with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of the condenser. The back of the piston is provided with a tubular boss 21 in which is anchored a wire coil 22 formed at the upper end of a piston stem 23 which normally extends into and is housed within a pocket 24 in the bit. When the bit is removed from the condenser, by screwing it free from the adjacent end thereof, the piston will remain within the condenser with the stem 23 attached to the piston by the coil 22. If the condenser is then unscrewed and thus removed from the holding portion 1, the piston may be moved longitudinally of the condenser by holding the condenser in one hand while the stem 24 is manipulated by the other hand of the user for the purpose of ejecting deposits of saliva and waste products of combustion which have accumulated in the condenser.

The piston is provided at its very center with a short slit and the bit is provided with a tubular spur 25, arranged coaxially of the smoke passage 19 and permanently secured to the bit. This spur has a sharp upper end 26, so that when the parts are re-assembled with the piston withdrawn to the lower end of the condenser the sharp end 2,6. of the spur will pass through the slit in the piston and thus provide open communication between the smoke passage 19 and the interior of the condenser. Under normal conditions of smoking, the parts will appear as shown in Figure 1y with the piston retracted as stated and its stem 23 seated inthe pocket 24 of the bit.

I have hereinbefore described the holding portion 1 of the holder as provided withk relatively rotatable cups with a disk sandwiched assembly between them and a series of openings through which the smoke is passed from the cigarette to the condenser and thence through the bit to the mouth of the smoker. In order to properly function in the carrying out of this invention, the openings to which I have referred in the respective parts and the mesh employed should be of such relative sizes as will bring about eicient condensation of the waste products of combustion and the deposit of the deleterious constituents thereof in the condenser.

When a cigarette is smoked, the moisture of the atmospheric air drawn through the cigarette, as well` as the moisture in the tobacco, pass through these holes in succession and through the mesh and if, through rotation of the inner cup, the relation of the holes and mesh are properly proportioned, the products of combustion and moisture will be so intimately broken up and intermingled in finely divided form as to cause the absorption of the tars, resins, and tine dust in the moisture vapor generated by the heat of the burning tobacco. It isl the function of the dividing and mixing unit to cause an eflicient and thorough mixture of these materials. It may be that the tars` and resins. actually go into solution with the moisture vapor when thus mixed and; intermingled, but in any event I have found that as the vapor and waste products of combustion enter the condenser they tend to rapidly expand and condense the moisture in liquid form carrying with it tars, resins and dust and much entrained. nicotine which accumulate within the condenser as a sticky viscous mass.

I amable to accomplish the results stated by providing between the cigarette and the condenser a: smoke passage which, in the preferred embodiment of this invention', has an effective cross sectional area not exceeding the: cross-sectional area of avcircular opening .027 in diameter. This effective cross sectional area may be in the form of a single passage or it may be the aggregate cross sectional area of a. plurality of openings, such, for example, as the openings between the wires of a mesh and the, aggregate area of these openings is suchy so as to; give the etective open area of cross section to which I' have referred.

During the operation of smoking thermal conditions, tars,i moisture,v etc. cooled by air surrounding'y the holder will ordinarily cause the loading of some of the holesl or openingsr in, the mesh, so that due allowance must be made kfor this fact. However, the suction applied by the smoker will. keep a` sufiicient number of these holes open to allowy a satisfactory quantity of smoke to enter the smoker-fs mouth and, as these openings tend to clog, others will be open by the suction referred to. Therefore a. larger number of holes in the mesh are used than are theoretically required but all` of them do not function all of the time. My experience has shown that as: the cigarettefburns short and the burning end of the cigarette cornes closer. tothe unit,` it will have a warming effect upon thesame. which will cause the tars, resins, etc. to be` rendered more liquid, so that they will enter theV condenser and thus clear holes inr the mesh which might otherwise remain clogged.

In the structure which-I have thus far described, there is only one dividing and mixing unit of the character shown in Figures 6 and 7 embodied in the construction of Figure 1. If desired, however, I may use two condensers 2 in tandem, as indicated at 2 and 2a in Figure 9 and incorporate between them, a second mixing unit which may be constructed as shown in Figures 6 and 7 although it is shown in Figure 9 in accordance with the structure of Figure 8. A threaded coupling 27 is used to unite the condensers.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette holder comprising: a cigarette holding portion provided in its bottom with a smoke passage, a condenser holding portion, a condenser back of said passage, and a bit back of said condenser, the passage through the bottom of the holding portion through which smoke is adapted to pass. having an etfective cross sectional area not exceeding. the cross sectional' area of a circular opening of .027" in diameter.

2. A dividing and mixing unit adapted to be used with cigarette holders provided with a. condenser comprising: ay pair of superimposed plates each of which is provided with an off'cent'er opening with the openings in both plates registering with one another,.and a wire mesh sandwiched between the plates and bridging said openings, said plates being peripherall'y secured4 to one another and of soft metal in which the mesh is embedded, said openings in the plates and in the wire mesh which extends across said openings forming a smoke passage having an effective cross sectionalV area. not exceeding the cross sectional area, ofa circular opening. of .027 in diameter.

3'. In a dividing andV mixing unit adapted to be used with a cigarette holder provided' with a condenser, a tlat circular element provided therein with at least one smoke opening through which smoke is adapted to pass, the total smoke opening through which smoke is adapted to pass having. a total eifective cross sectional area not exceeding the cross sectional area of a circular opening of .027 in. diameter.

References Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 348,347 Rosenbaum Aug. 31, 1886 683,339 Schulz Sept. 24, 1901 999,120 DeMeza July 25, 1911 1,290,791. Sebenste Jan. 7, 1919 1,535,934 McFadden Apr. 28, 1925 1,761,205 Gibson June 3, 1930 1,927,826 Friday Sept. 26, 1933 1,988,588 Ellsworthl Ian. 22', 1935 2,106,747 Iellinghaus Feb. 1`, 1938 2,112,018 Gautronl Mar. 22, 1938 2,145,733 Palumbo Ian. 31, 1939 2,153,623 Jacobson Apr. 11, 1939 2,241,229 Williams May 6, 1941 2,338,091 Brennan et al'. Jan. 4, 1944 2,385,651- Ricketts Sept. 25, 1945 2,419,509' Turner Apr. 22, 1947 2,511,898 Brothers June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,948 Great Britain 1884 23,819v Great Britain 1910 242,829 Switzerland Dec. 2, 1946 328,042` France Oct. 21, 1903 

